tenuki

To add insult to injury, that new Apple iPhone looks superior to the TL nav in every way. If one could somehow hook up the phone directly to the nav screen and bypass the existing nav computer, that would be a huge improvement. $600 for the phone looks cheap compared to $2000 for the nav.

I like my factory TL nav and definitely think it's worth it, especially since I am in a new city. However, it's by far not the best that it could be.

SleepyTheDon

my 06 TL does the same thing. i have it set up in florida and it still shows me stores miles away when i could be just a few blocks away

rhuffman24

Ok, here's the deal with finding places. Bottom line first: the biggest problem with the NAVI is that the POI database is far from complete. In many cases, it seems to have only "representative" entries for a given business.

Specifically for McDonald's, first, you have to spell it correctly. From the NAVI Find screen, choose Places, Name, then spell the name (McDonald's). The NAVI then asks you to

"Select a place:" "American (Restaurant) etc. (4 categories)
MCDONALD'S.
Subcategory:
1. American (restaurant)
2. ATM [ok, that's wierd]
3. Business
4. Fast Food (restaurant)"

When you choose number 4, you will then get a list of McDonald's by distance from your current location. In my case, the closest one was around 2 miles.

Now. Just because you properly spell the business name doesn't mean you will successfully get the nearest one to you - as I said before, the POI is very incomplete. Another major problem is that of categorization. With some exceptions, it is impossible to choose the "right" category after inputting the name. It's as if Acura has randomly categorized many, many entries for every company you may wish to find. So, for best chances of success, there is only one way to go: search by category, type, keyword, sort by distance. This works every time for all POIs in the database. If you want to check your work, bring the Yellow Pages out, and search by telephone number to verify you have listed them all.

If Acura could do a better job of updating the POI database, the NAVI would be much more usable.

So, that's about it. Try it yourself. Spend 15 minutes with a pad of paper and the phonebook. It works.

reisb

The problem is also type of category. The other day I wanted "Rent-A-Center". I could not find a category in the list of 8 or so. I had to search by name and then got the weird subcategories you are talking about. Had someone google it and give me phone number. Worked perfect after that. By category, keyword, I still wouldn't have found it because it is not in one of the 8 categories.

I like the category search if you are talking shopping, restaurant, or something that is on the list of 8 categories because you don't need subcat. You can just choose all shopping or all restaurants.

rhuffman24

The important thing to keep in mind is that to perform a successful search, you have to be as general as possible up to the last possible moment. Whenever you see an option for other, or NEC (Not Elsewhere Classified), or search by keyword, do it. Here's how I got a listing of all the Rent-a-Centers within 100 miles of me:

Advanced search
"keyword for category" (enter "rent")
"Select a category" (choose "Equipment rental and Leasing NEC")
"Place name by keyword"
"Sort by distance to travel"
"Enter keyword for place" (enter "rent-")

And... there are your results! This reads more tedious than it is.

reisb

That worked. Now is there anywhere that posts some of the "other" categories other than "rent"? That would be nice. Or I guess typing "A" and choosing list would show me.

Thanks RHuffman.

rhuffman24

Reisb, happy that worked for you. However, there are no other "categories". What's happening is a simple keyword search. The NAVI will find, within it's POI, any entry which has the string of characters "rent". You could have entered "ren" or "rent-". The change would result in more or fewer results. After some practice, you will get a sense of how many characters you need to enter, and what characters are most likely to give you the results you are looking for. Still, Acura needs to issue a DVD with substantially more entries, catching up with the aftermarket providers. This is very easy, and would result in a much more satisfying search. Why Acura doesn't do this is a mystery. Cost? Licensing fee? Storage space on the DVD? Simple oversight? Who knows.

mike03a3

1. No, that's how you got a list of the Rent-a-Centers that are listed in the Nav database. That's by far the biggest problem - the database just flat doesn't list a vast number of POI's. Far, far fewer than my Garmin.

2. Less tedious than it reads? Maybe. Way more tedious than it should be? Absolutely.

brooklynite

OK it seems like the thread I started is losing it's original direction. Let me clear a few things up before we lose track here:

1. The POI in ACURA TL 2006 is an excellent database of POI compared to other manufacturer offered navigation systems. This thread in no way is going to talk or advise about the number of POIs or the fact that they may be old or whatever. That is not the point here and is not even related to the thread.

2. The DATABASE that FINDS the POI is malfunctioning. NO it is not a matter of having to click a few extra times, NO. That would be a matter of stupid programming which is not the case here. The issue is that the software cannot locate POIs using the NAME button provided. Having to guess a CATEGORY is not the issue either. The McDonalds around you may be categorized under FAST FOOD or RESTAURANT or OTHER or EATERY. Which one you pick when you search? Obviously since the system is not capable of a search by name, but only a search by name under a certain category, if the nearest 5 McDonalds are in a different category that you picked, they will not show up in the search results.

I am hoping that enough attention to this matter will raise concern to ACURA and hopefully they will correct the issue. I feel duped into buying the Navi since the NAME search is what attracted me to the system, not the "FIND CHINESE RESTAURANT" salesman bullshit we all have heard when we first bought our car.

BENDER08

imagine this how did people ever live with out navi prior to 1999 when the tl's had it before that it was an expensive screen with maps.....mine sucks to I type in Denny's and it gives me the one in Florida but oh well its a good tool when it works.

rhuffman24

Brooklynite -
1. Just because you started a thread doesn't mean you "own" it. All participants in this community look for value in their ideas as exchanged - and you initial thoughts gave rise to those of others. You should enjoy the fact that your idea has given others an impetus to share their own thoughts regarding the NAVI.
2. The POI database content is not "one of the best". It has been demonstrated as very lacking in content.
3. Access to a desired destination is convoluted at best. However, once you understand the short cuts, take them.
4. yes, we all wish Acura would "fix it". If anyone reading this thread knows how to do that, we all would like to know.

wilsel

Do a name search for Walmart According to NAV there are none in GA.

The name search does suck with chain names, but it's worked well for me with single location businesses.

weedeater

Ever since I got mine I have told everyone I know who was buying a car to not buy the installed nav systems. Just go get a Garmin or similar. My old StreetPilot is better than this POS, though a bit slower.

I've gotten so I quit using it. I let it stay black.

DMZ

There are those of us who'd rather have them factory built into the dash than have an extra 'box' taking up space in the interior.

Granted, the stock Nav system may have its shortcomings, but I wouldn't call it a POS compared to what else is out there factory installed. It may very well meet the needs of some of those you're bad mouthing it to. And when you have to decide 'turn or not to turn', speed can make a difference.

I'd still rather have it than not have it.

reisb

I agree. It got me to a small custom framing store 30 minutes away in a small town. I'll say one thing, it works very good if you happen to have a phone number. Address is pretty good too. Just works soso if you're searching by name because of categories (though I'm getting the hang of it), but I like it alot and like the voice activated functions that many Garmin/Tom Tom's do not have. Find nearest ATM, gas, etc by voice works great while out of town.

I don't think you get any voice activiation (radio, AC, etc) if you don't have navi package so it's worth it to me. Everyone make their own decisions and let it be.

jazznut

I agree with the voice activation on the radio and AC. The system as a whole, is not perfect, hopefully as we all are, that Acura will fix some of the quirks and improve the product as time goes.

thisguymo

I'm a programmer and I think they should do away with the categories screen after you do a NAME search. It should automatically go straight to the nearest maches of the query you typed in. Even if they didn't eliminate the categories screen, it should at least show you only the categories that are nearest to you (Is it to much to stay withing the state?).

Also, I would like an option to show the damn cross street that's coming up. Instead of the street I'm on (I already know what street I'm on).

evantec

Especially now that thieves have awakened to the fact that add-on GPS units are a hot item. So it would mean plugging-in and un-plugging an add-on unit every time you drove. The spring-loaded cover on the cigarette lighter in the dash will get really annoying after a few days. So then you'll either stop using the NAVI, or just leave it plugged in all the time and take your chances.

Yeah, I know people could mount an add-on unit better so it's not just a loose wire plugged into the cigarette lighter. But unlike radar detectors which can just provide audio-only and still do their job, I'd bet most people want the NAVI screen somewhere easy to see the maps.

DMZ

Dat's why I'm having Chrissy & his guys boost a truckload of doze tings tomorra.

SleepyTheDon

when you get that lawyer let me know cuz i am ALL FOR IT!!

dcrandon

Yeah, this is just BS. I rented a $300 Garmin unit when I had to get a rental car recently. It worked perfect! I found everything I wanted it to. It also would have more street names on the screen, and would say the street name of every turn I needed to make.

dcrandon

Your not the only one pissed. I am incredibly pissed about this! This is probably the second most function used in the Nav and it works like crap. This totally pisses me off, expecially when it should easily be fixed. How the hell can this continue through four model years!?

dcrandon

It does not work properly in the '07 either. I was at the dealer yesterday testing it and it couldn't find the Sears across the street either unless I picked some obscure catagory, but it wasn't just "shopping".!

It still couldn't find the local Sam's Club or Costco!

This is incredibly stupid. It's go nothing to do with it "just not working the way I want it to". This is a stupid oversight by the software writers.

dcrandon

We are talking about looking for something by Name. Like the nearest Sears, Costco or Sam's Club. Not by catagory.

dcrandon

The new 07 TL has the same problem.

dcrandon

About 6 months ago, a patient of mine, who is the lead service writer at a BMW dealer near me said that the Honda/Acura system is 6 years ahead of BMW!

dcrandon

Yesterday, sitting in the Home Depot parking lot....put in "The Home Depot" 'cause that's what is in 50ft letters on their building, nothing found. Then, put in "Home Depot", and I almost fell dead of a heart attack, not only did it list it, but the first one was right where I was at!

dcrandon

Thats weird, I'm here in CA, and it gives me all the one's in MI!!

dcrandon

There is actually a reason for this...by putting the street in first, it will then have in it's RAM, only the street numbers that actually exist for that street. Less mistakes with street number input made. I like it.

dcrandon

DAMN right on both counts. Pure and simple!!

mike03a3

After six months of owning my '07 TL-S, I continue to grow more disgusted with the Navi system. For those who claim it's better than most OEM systems, I can only say I have the most sincere sympathy for anyone who owns one of the other OEM systems if they are really worse than ours.

I'll admit I have a limited frame of reference. I've been using a first generation Garmin Quest for three years, other than that my GPS experience is limited to some rides in other GPS cars and a few GPS equipped rental cars, so my main comparison is to my Garmin. For those not familiar with it, the Quest is a shirt pocket size GPS. You can see it here.

I'll start by making it clear I have problem with the hardware. The Acura Navi has a large, bright screen that it easily readable under most lighting conditions.

The software and database are another matter entirely.

The database is a disaster, plain and simple. A large percentage of the Points of Interest in my Quest's database just aren't in the Acura one, even though the Acura one is three years newer. This is especially true for some of the major nationwide chains and is so bad that I now that the Quest anytime I'm looking for stores by name. This is compounded by the fact that many names are spelled in a variety of ways. (e.g. Wendys or Wendy's; WalMart or Wal-mart) or else they are variations on the name (e.g. CostCo or CostCo Warehouse). Then there are the ones that are just plain misspelled. Then the various forms of the name (assuming the particular location you are looking for is there at all) are randomly divided into multiple categories. The net result is a landfill sized heap of reeking garbage, not a useful database.

Then there's the programing. Finding things that ARE in the database is just plain agony. Apparently the programmers have never seen or used a decent GPS system in their life. I won't belabor the point, the majority of the posts in this thread are about the terrible programming.

Next are the maps. Not as bad at the POI database, but not great either. Large areas that are detailed maps on my Quest are uncharted territory on the Acura Navi, where it leaves little bread crumbs as you drive around. It also has navigation issues with the streets is does know about. If I want to go from my home in Vienna Virginia to DC, no amount of fiddling will force the Navi to take the quickest route, which happens to be AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY!. Yup, I-66 is right there on the map, but it won't use it unless you start driving down I-66. It will beg you to get off and take a longer route, but eventually it will sometimes stop complaining and grudgingly allow you to continue on I-66. So other trips, it sometimes takes bizarre little detours, like the one I mentioned in a previous post. For the most part, if you type in an address it will get you there, although I often question it's route selection logic. The Garmin picks a better route about 20% of the time. If the routes differ, it's a safe bet the Garmin picked the better of the two. Because of the differences in detailed map coverage, the Acura Navi is less likely to allow you to enter a street address.

All in all it's a nice piece of hardware ruined by the software.

And the support.

I bought a new car almost a year an a half after the DST laws changed. They fixed the disk, but they want to SELL it to me for $170. Garmin is giving away the DST patches and their major map and database upgrades for all of North America are only $75. Oh, did I say North America. Yes, it covers all of Canada as well as Alaska and Hawaii.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, it shows the next cross street coming up. Very handy.

Bearcat94

^^^ The I-66 thing: What happens when you set the Route Guide to "Most Use of Freeways" (or whatever the exact language is)?

WRT the McDonald's 2000 miles away: What about the Voice Command "Find Nearest Fast Food"?

Seriously, just asking. This is the very 1st Navi I've had and it's been useful so far. I am happy to have it - perfect or not.

dcrandon

What are DST laws?

Thanks

Will Y.

That was a reference to the law passed by Congress to change the dates DST begins and ends.

And yes, our Navi system has flaws that may require some work-arounds, but it's also better than every other auto manufacturer's system. If you want an annoying, imprecise and/or antiquated navi system for comparison, get into a new Mercedes or BMW that has one.

NewTL2007

I have Garmin too, mine PDA iQue 3600, love it. The main reason why Garmin is the best because hardware, software and maps made by the same well respected brand.

mike03a3

You can try every mode you want, it won't route you over I-66.

Then it will give you the nearest fast food it knows about, which won't necessarily be the nearest, or the name you are seeking.

Between Christmas, my daughter's wedding and a major home renovation I've had a number of occasions since I bought the TL when I needed to buy several matching items. For example, I was looking for enough of one particular style of crown molding to do the whole house we're renovating. That means visiting basically every Home Depot in the area. The one closest to my house, which has been there for years, isn't in the database. Neither is the next closest one. One way to prove they AREN'T there is to search for the nearest shopping place of any category while sitting the the parking lot. If it's in the database, it should be the top of the list. My Garmin easily finds several Home Depots the Acura doesn't know about. Same with CostCo and several other chains. The find nearest while in the parking lot will help solve the spelling mysteries. Like O'Kelly's being spelled Okelly, for example.

These days if I'm going to look for stores by name, I just take the Garmin with me.

Glad you like it. I'd probably like mine a lot more if didn't have the Garmin. But it really annoys me that the Acura Navi is such a POS compared to a $450 pocket Garmin.

mike03a3

I HAVE an annoying, imprecise navigation system, thanks to Acura. What I want is for Acura to have a system that's worth what they charge for it.

shamen74

Agreed, it limits the options you can actually enter. Its more like entering a phone number, first the area code, then the prefix, then the specific phone. We have addresses all backwards in the US. You have to read an address from the bottom up to figure out where you're going.

shamen74

I've had my TL Type-S for 3 months. Never had navigation for myself before, and today is the first time I am reading all the hate posts about navi here, so I'm surprised.

Its not the most intuitive, but I have found a few work arounds. The way I see it is, it is some GUI issues... not intuitive to look up Walmart, Costco, etc if looking by "NAME". However I think the biggest issue is the database... I've delt with consumer and business databases for years in the Marketing aspect of my job, and this is very common. You have hundreds of people entering yellow page listings and categorizing as they see fit. The best way to fix this is to have a single person own it and that's just not possible. Data cleanup is another option, but the minute you clean it up, new entries are not going to conform. The example in the thread of "the home depot" versus "home depot" is a great one....

By "Name" is pretty useless, BUT by "Place name by Keyword" is the FIX in my opinion. I don't look for costco, I look for Category, Shopping, All shopping (because sub categories are ridiculous and will lead you astray), Sort by distance to travel, "Place name by Keyword". Here "Home Depot" "Home Depot, The" "The Home Depot" will all come up if you input "Home Depot" AND it will show you the closest one it knows.

SO again, very surprised about all the unhapiness, this works really well for us. Granted it doesnt compare to handheld GPS software, but think about it, those company's concentrate on GPS. Acura Navi is one department of many and I would bet smaller than all of Garmin combined.

Also loving the "find place along route" option. Starting with a "name" search... uhh just give it up.

bluenoise

I agree. As has been said before, it'd be nice to be able to do fuzzy searches by name, but the keyword search is the key to getting the right results. I've mentioned this happening with Starbucks, so keyword searching for "starbuck" gets me the correct results every time.

My in-laws got a brand new Mercedes GL450 with navi. That POS system doesn't list any stores, only shopping centers. If the store you're seeking is in a shopping center, you need to know the name of that center. If it's not in a center, it's not in the system. No touchscreen. Adding the ability to call from it costs another bunch of $$$$ for the option of handsfree, too. They wanted the navi option after seeing the Acura one in my car. They certainly are disappointed that it's all but useless to them now.